Category: News

The Gorillaz have been beloved for decades because of how meticulous they are when it comes to releasing new music and honoring their past work. Today they’ve announced a collaboration with Superplastic to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band with a limited-edition collectible vinyl toy called “Geep.” The toy is the green dune buggy that’s driven by Gorillaz member Noodle. The Geep comes equipped with working LED lights and a removable guitar. To give a sense of sizing, the toy is 10-inches long and 4-inches tall and will retail for $120.

Geep is not the first time Superplastic and Gorillaz have collaborated on merch. In 2019, they released a soft vinyl of Gorillaz lead singer 2D, along with a full band vinyl toy set featuring band members 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russell in 2020. Of the Geep collaboration, Noodle had this to say: “The Geep, our most loyal companion. We hope it will bring joy to all the homes it parks up in around the world.”

“It’s been my dream to ride shotgun with Noodle in the Geep…on mushrooms. As real as I want that moment to be, we all know that this shit isn’t happening. So, we decided to make a super limited, dope, amazing toy instead. It’s been killer bringing Gorillaz to life through designer toys over almost two decades, and I can’t wait for fans to get the Geep!” added Superplastic founder Paul Budnitz.

Check out some other images of the Geep below and pick up the collectible here.

Former The Daily Show host (and coming Apple TV+ host) Jon Stewart is no stranger to taking fights to Capitol Hill to fight for healthcare for those who serve their country. To that end, he’s renewed his push for veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits and are now suffering grave health effects, years after their tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Burn pits have been linked to respiratory illnesses and cancer, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has so far come up short in providing benefits linked to the pits, and the Washington Post has detailed how Stewart is pushing legislation that will remove the “burden of proof” upon veterans to prove the link of their illnesses to burn pit exposure.

Sean Hannity, who normally does not see eye-to-eye with Stewart on anything (and vice versa), took notice of Stewart’s efforts and tweeted out a link to Mediaite’s story on the subject. “Don’t often agree with Jon Stewart,” the Fox News host wrote. “He’s right on this. It’s total bullsh*t. Help our vets. Republicans need to own this.”

Mediaite detailed Stewart’s sentiments from this week when he spoke alongside House Veterans’ Affairs Committee members in support of the Honoring Our PACT Act, and Stewart pointed out how veterans “talk about what they think they could get.” Stewart says that these veterans’ words prove that they’re feeling the effects of how they’re forced to prove the link between their suffering and toxic pit exposure. Stewart blames “Congress’ reticence and inaction,” which has left “our veterans community over these many years to negotiate against itself.” He elaborated upon why this is unconscionable:

“Defense contractors can view the U.S. Congress as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, while veterans are back there like Oliver with a bowl of gruel asking, ‘Please, sir, may I have some more? It’s bullsh*t and it’s gotta stop. And if these bills can finally end this cycle for the veterans… then we have to get this done.”

There you have it. Hannity and Stewart both agree that this is “bullsh*t” treatment of veterans, so perhaps Congress can finally come together, too. Stewart’s been tweeting on the subject as well. “Veterans deserve presumption of toxic exposure, not another “study” or bureaucratic process that doesn’t guarantee treatment and disability,” he argued. “This is the only bill that gets it done. #BurnPitAct”

Stewart also tweeted a video to illustrate how terribly the U.S. has treated veterans who have been afflicted (in some cases, fatally) by burn pit exposure.

(Via Washington Post, Mediaite & Axios)

One of the more pleasant surprises of this Brooklyn Nets season has been grizzled veteran forward Jeff Green turning into a reliable member of the team’s center rotation. Green played some small ball 5 as a member of the Houston Rockets last year, but in Brooklyn, he’s taken on the big man assignment due to the team’s bevy of talent at guard and on the wings. It’s been a really effective move for the Nets, but unfortunately for Green and the team, they’ll have to go forward in the postseason without him for a bit.

During his Thursday afternoon news press conference, Nets coach Steve Nash announced that Green is dealing with a strained plantar fascia that will put him on ice for the next 10 days, at which point his status will be evaluated.

Green did not start either of Brooklyn’s first two games against the Boston Celtics — that honor has instead gone to Blake Griffin — but he has been an important contributor off the bench in the series. The Nets won’t need his services to take down the Celtics barring something unforeseen, but having him around in the second round against the Miami Heat or, more likely, the Milwaukee Bucks would be really helpful.

Rina Sawayama has been quickly working her way towards the top of the music world. At the start of 2020, she hadn’t even released an album. Now, she has dropped Sawayama, has an Elton John collaboration under her belt, and perhaps a Lady Gaga remix is on the way as well. Now she’s establishing some footing in the acting world, too: Deadline reports that Sawayama has landed a big film role, in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Director Chad Stahelski offered a brief statement about the casting, saying, “I’m so glad to have Rina on board to make her feature film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4. She’s an incredible talent who’ll bring so much to the film.” Sawayama shared the news as well, posting a screenshot of the Deadline article and writing, “my feature film acting debut in John Wick 4 !!!!!! I’m so excited !!!!! [crying emojis].”

This actually won’t be her first acting role: In 2019, she had a recurring role on the UK comedy series Turn Up Charlie, which was created by and stars Idris Elba as a DJ-turned-nanny.

Meanwhile, she also has a new album on the way. At the end of 2020, she said her sophomore effort was half-done and she teased that it could even have a country-influenced sound.

It looks like Eminem’s long-held animosity for 20-something rappers has subsided, as the 20-year rap veteran has reached out to two of today’s quickest-witted spitters, Cordae and Jack Harlow, to remix the upbeat Music To Be Murdered By track, “Killer.” Em teased the track ahead of its arrival, offering fans a tiny snippet of the track and its animated music video on Twitter. Its visual style resembled a pulp noir comic, with white ink on a black background and action shots that homage hardboiled thrillers and the comic books that Em loves collecting.

Incidentally, both rappers share more in common than just a love for complex rhyme schemes. Cordae’s breakout moment came with the release of his “My Name Is” freestyle over Eminem’s own breakout major-label debut single from two decades ago. Jack Harlow, meanwhile, has expressed his love for Eminem, checking his peers for underrating the Detroit icon during an interview with Pitchfork and putting his own spin on another one of Em’s classic records, “Without Me,” in an SNL sketch “explaining” how NFTs work.

The “Killer” remix drops tonight at midnight ET.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After sharing a handful of singles and EP’s Girl In Red‘s debut album If I Could Make It Go Quiet was her breakout moment. Now, Girl In Red shares an ominous video to her hit “Mind And Body” track. Additionally, she has also announced a 2022 tour.

The singer’s “Mind And Body” video was directed by horror specialist Thea Hvistendahl. The sinister clip depicts Girl In Red being captured by witches at an abandoned cabin.

“Making this video and giving ‘Body And Mind’ a new dimension with these visuals is really dope,” the singer said about the visual. “It feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve seen some witch sh*t so it was about time!”

Listen to “Body And Mind” above and find Girl In Red’s 2022 North American tour dates below.

03/08/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
03/09/2022 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
03/11/2022 — Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
03/12/2022 — Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live!
03/14/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
03/15/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
03/16/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
03/18/2022 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
03/19/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
03/20/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
03/22/2022 — Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
03/23/2022 — Columbus, OH @ EXPRESS LIVE!
03/24/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
03/25/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
03/27/2022 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
03/28/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/29/2022 — Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
03/31/2022 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s
04/01/2022 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues
04/02/2022 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
04/05/2022 — Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
04/06/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
04/08/2022 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
04/09/2022 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
04/11/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
04/12/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom

If I Could Make It Go Quiet is out now via AWAL. Get it here.

For over four decades, actor and artist Val Kilmer has been filming himself, even as he navigated his rise to Hollywood stardom in the ’80s and ’90s. Now, that footage will be seen in the first time in the new documentary, Val, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo. In an interesting twist, the documentary is produced by A24 Films as part of the studio’s new foray into non-fiction films, and it’s already been picked up by Amazon Studios for a 2021 release.

“At least once a day for years I looked around and got this bittersweet feeling that there are a thousand reasons that this project could’ve been shipwrecked,” Kilmer said in a statement announcing the Amazon acquisition. “I mean, what could a film look like of a man filming himself, sometimes daily, years at a time? It is unimaginable that this movie actually could’ve ever come to light without the partnership of my dear friends, Leo and Ting, and my producing partners. Tireless hours of editing and endless emotions with each new cut! I couldn’t be more proud to share this with the world!”

Here’s the official synopsis:

For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.

Val will stream later this year on Amazon.

Pete Davidson has somehow been on SNL for seven years (!), and after some growing pains, he finally feels comfortable and happy on the long-running sketch series.

“I was at a really different place a year or two ago,” he said in a Hollywood Reporter roundtable interview with, among others, Ted Danson, Lamorne Morris, and his fellow SNL cast member, Chris Redd. “I’m not exactly proud of how I handled or was handling things a few years ago. Looking back on it, you’re like, ‘Ahh, come on, dude.’ Luckily a pandemic happened and I got kicked in the balls and had to sit with all of my immature irrational decisions.” Davidson said he was “really excited” when SNL came back during the pandemic and that he was “really excited just to work and see people and I had a different outlook for this season and moving forward. I think I’ve been able to have a lot of fun and I just really appreciate it — not working at all really sucks.”

Later on, Danson praised Davidson for being “dangerous”:

“Pete, I just have to say I love funny, which you are, but you’ve got an edge of danger in you that I find fantastic to watch, to know that I’m going to laugh but also be a little nervous… I wish I had that. I’m your run-of-the-mill nice actor. You’re dangerous and I love that. I love watching you.”

The Suicide Squad star was also asked about whether he was any intention of trying to top Kenan Thompson’s record-setting 18 season run on SNL. “I’m good. I’m surprised I made it to seven. I’m ready to hang up the jersey. Kenan’s like f*cking Karl Malone out there,” he replied. Between this comment and the season finale, which felt like a goodbye for both Davidson and Cecily Strong, it would be a surprise to see Chad again.

If Ted Danson gave me a compliment, I’d be ready to leave, too. It doesn’t get much better than that.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Finding a solid, cheap vodka is not hard. Finding one that actually has a good flavor profile and texture can be… a bit harder. There are a lot of vodka bottles on the shelf and they’re not all created equal. No one wants oily vodka that tastes like hand sanitizer. Even for mixing cocktails.

To help you pick the right vodkas, we’re blind-tasting iconic expressions that all ring in at under $30. All ten vodkas I tried for this piece are pretty familiar to me. I lived in Moscow for a year, where I drank my fair share of the stuff. On the personal level, I have a special place in my heart for Stoli, thanks to my grandfather sneaking me nips from the bottle on summer holidays. Based on nostalgia factor alone, I went into this blind tasting pretty much convinced I’d rank Stoli first.

For this tasting, I ranked each bottle based on taste alone. Next time, I’ll taste some high-end vodkas with some cheap ringers thrown in to try to trip myself up!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

This opens light and creamy with a hint of green peppercorn. There’s a soft mineral water feel on this one that leads towards a final note of faded mint, kind of like the last legs of minty chewing gum.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a note of rye bread next to wet wheatgrass that leads towards soft notes of … almonds? The texture of this sip is incredibly soft, like a bottle of super-soft Italian mineral water that comes in a glass bottle. The end holds onto the grassy notes and ends up back on the nutty vibe through the finish.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

Cold lemon tea, maybe mint-lemon tea, opens this one up. That mintiness leads towards a minty gum vibe again (no, I’m not chewing gum) while the lemon fades out, leaving a slight nutty end with an almost mint candy sweetness.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

Holy shit! This is lemon soda in a glass. It’s full of overly sweet citrus that loses its effervescence until it feels like cold lemon tea with too much fake sugar in it.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is flavored vodka. It’s so damn sweet.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a slight graininess next to a pure water taste. Going back in, there’s a slight creamy oatmeal note next to a very soft and neutral water taste.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

A note of lemon oils sits next to vanilla cream and dried mint (oh, hi, Stoli). An almost bitter orange/lemon note arrives (think of the white pith of the peel) with a crystal clear water flavor and a mildly nutty finish.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

Interesting. There’s a chili pepper vibe next to a hint of grain and, maybe, leather. Woody spices, Evian-soft water, and unsweetened almond paste drive the taste. The mouthfeel is luscious while bringing back the notes of chili, almond, and wood.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

This has a peppery spice next to wet straw and raw leather (almost raw steak). There’s a light rye bread maltiness next to an almost tap water feel. The end has a slight nuttiness but not much else.

Taste 9:

Tasting Notes:

Lemon oils arrive with a few dry grains and a very faint touch of … cumin? The lemon combines with fresh green herbs for an almost tabbouleh vibe. The overall taste is very soft and full of minerals with a bright edge.

Taste 10:

Tasting Notes:

This has a wet wheat taste with a very clear rainwater texture. There’s a slight vanilla/cream soda note in the sip that leads back to that soft rainwater.

Part 2: The Ranking

10. Cîroc Vodka — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28

The Vodka:

This French vodka is made with 100 percent Ugni Blanc grapes. It’s then distilled five times in a bespoke copper still. Finally, the spirit is cut with local water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is the true outlier on the list (and a country mile behind the rest of the entries). It was so obviously something different than the other grain-based spirits that it straight up felt like flavored vodka. It’s just too saccharine while still being kind of listless. I don’t even know what I’m going to do with this bottle now.

9. Wyborowa Vodka — Taste 8

ABV: 37.5%

Average Price: $20 (1-liter bottle)

The Vodka:

Wyborowa (Vee-bo-Rova) is made from 100 percent locally sourced Polish rye. The distillate is then cut with well water from the nearly 100-year-old Wyborowa facility.

Bottom Line:

This was fine. A little watery — it’s under 80 proof after all — but perfectly serviceable.

If you’re in Poland, you can get a full bottle of this for 99 Złoty ($25) in some restaurants (with complimentary mixers like Sprite or juice). Those are fun dinners/nights.

8. Haku Vodka — Taste 3

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $29

The Vodka:

This Japanese vodka is made with a mash of polished white rice and koji rice and then double distilled in both pot and column stills. The spirit is then filtered through bamboo charcoal before getting proofed down with super soft spring water.

Bottom Line:

Again, this was fine. The lemon turned sweeter than bitter which was a little bit of a turn-off. Overall, I’d say this is a perfectly suitable cocktail vodka.

7. Absolut Vodka — Taste 10

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $14 (half bottle)

The Vodka:

This Swedish vodka is made from 100 percent winter wheat. The brand is one of the most recognizable bottles of booze in the world thanks to its unique bottle and the easy-to-drink juice inside of that bottle (and a hell of a history of excellent marketing).

Bottom Line:

This reminded me of going to Popeyes. It’s great fried chicken but it’s still mass-produced fast food. Absolut is great vodka but it still feels mass-produced and very neutral (not a bad thing, per se).

6. Smirnoff Vodka — Taste 5

ABV: 37.5%

Average Price: $19 (1-liter bottle)

The Vodka:

Old No. 21 is the Connecticut vodka that became one of the best-selling spirits in the world. The spirit is made from non-GMO corn, continuously distilled, and then charcoal filtered before getting cut down to 75 proof.

Bottom Line:

This, again, falls into the fast-food vodka category. It’s great for what it is but nothing to write home about. That being said, this is a solid candidate for infusing with ginger or chili or anything to make killer cocktails.

5. SKYY Vodka — Taste 1

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20 (1-liter bottle)

The Vodka:

SKYY Vodka has become a classic American vodka over the last nearly 30 years. The vodka is a grain spirit that’s cut with triple-filtered spring water. Though, starting next month, this will be the “classic” SKYY as a new version is coming out with mineral-enriched water at its core.

Bottom Line:

This was pleasant. There were clear flavor notes and a very delicate water feel. Still, there was nothing that popped out or grabbed my attention.

4. Ketel One Vodka — Taste 9

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

The Vodka:

This Dutch vodka is made with European wheat. The mash is then distilled in a column still and an old coal-fired pot still. The two vodkas are then vatted and cut down with local water.

Bottom Line:

This was a surprise. That cumin note came out of nowhere. This definitely piqued my interest the most when it came to unique flavor profiles but it wasn’t necessarily the most cohesive one.

3. Stolichnaya Vodka — Taste 6

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28 (1-liter bottle)

The Vodka:

This Russian vodka is made from wheat and rye deep in the Russian hinterland. The spirit is then shipped (by train) to Riga, Latvia where it’s proofed with local well water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

Well, f*ck. I guess my go-to vodka wasn’t my favorite today. Anyway, this did have a very dialed-in flavor profile that felt confident and refined. It was bright and very easy to drink with a real softness that helped it reach the top three.

2. Green Mark Vodka — Taste 2

ABV: 38%

Average Price: $15

The Vodka:

This 100 percent winter wheat vodka from Russia feels like a throwback classic. The spirit is cut with local spring water and then bottled in an old-school bottle with a pop cap.

Bottom Line:

Yeah, I’m not surprised this ranked this high. I drank a lot of this when I lived in Dushanbe for a couple of months. I really got a taste for the rye bread and nutty vibe with a super soft mineral water feel. This is just a really well-crafted, classic Russian vodka.

1. Russian Standard Vodka — Taste 7

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25 (1-liter bottle)

The Vodka:

This St. Petersburg vodka is made from 100 percent Russian winter wheat. The distillate is filtered with both charcoal and quartz before it’s cut with local spring water.

Bottom Line:

Huh… I didn’t expect this to be number one. I’ve drunk my fair share, but it was never a bottle I really bought (or buy now, to be honest). Looking at it from the blind taste, this was refined while also casting the widest net when it came to classic vodka flavors. The softness of the water on the mouthfeel was distinct without being bland. It was well-rounded and felt like there was a real “there” there.

I don’t know. I’m pretty hard-wired for Stoli so I don’t think I’ll be switching over. But that doesn’t change the number “1” I scratched next to my tasting notes for taste number seven.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I’m kind of intrigued and baffled Russian Standard won the day. I thought my deep history with Stoli would have subconsciously led me to that. It is what it is.

The thing I’m most sure about though is that Cîroc is a bizarre entry in the vodka canon. Sure, vodka can be made from pretty much anything in its mash. But maybe it shouldn’t be grapes? Just a thought.

In the end, I don’t think this really changed my passive vodka buying habits. There is now and will always be a bottle of Stoli in my freezer. That being said, Russian Standard and Green Mark will have spots on my shelf while Absolut and Smirnoff will remain my mixing vodkas.

Breakout Kentucky rap star Jack Harlow got to live his dream by appearing on this week’s season premiere Complex‘s Hot Ones, but his dream turned out to be more of a nightmare after his saucy fingers got a little too familiar with his right eye halfway through the episode. He spends quite a bit of the interview suffering, but before that, he got in a few really fun responses to questions about lyrics from his debut album, That’s What They All Say.

Host Sean Evans references the reflective song “Rendezvous,” on which Harlow rhymes about being “Eight deep at the show, it might be eight fans,” and asks Jack about his most “character-building” experiences on tour. Jack recalls the tour for his 2017 mixtape Gazebo where, “night after night, I was getting character builders.” He describes situations where he had as many people on stage as there were in the crowd. “One that stuck out was the first night of the tour, which really set my expectations. It was Birmingham, Alabama. There was as many people in the crowd as we had come to the venue with… I had some humbling shows, but they prepared me for this.” He also talks a bit about doing his own stunts in a Call Of Duty ad.

He’s certainly seen a turnaround in his fortunes since. In the same month that he released his debut album on Atlantic, he appeared on The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and in an NBA All-Star Weekend game of two-on-two, bringing his audience from “eight fans” to millions in just three years.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.